The present invention relates generally to a test device for the brake equipment of a railroad car and more specifically to a test system of computerized single car test devices for a rail car brake system.
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has established Standard S-486 for testing railroad car brake systems for a single stand alone car. The standard has two sections, namely, Section 3 for Procedures For Repair Track Test For Air Brake Equipment and Section 4 for Test-Standards Single Capacity Freight Brake Equipment. The recent revisions to Standard S-486 provides for testing where brake cylinder measurement taps are provided. New Rule 88 is provided, which requires brake cylinder leakage tests as outlined in AAR Standard S-401.
Computerized single car test devices (CSCTDs) are well-known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,894. These devices are connected to the glad hand at one end of the car, which is connected to the brake pipe. The other end is connected to a source of pressure. A connection to the brake cylinder is also provided. Various tests are performed automatically upon initiation by an operator. With wider acceptance of the CSCTD, the operator is free to do other activities during the automatic testing. Also, in a repair yard, more than one single car test can be performed at one time with multiple CSCTDs.
The present disclosure provides a test system for computerized single car test devices. The test system includes at least one car tester having a first connector for connecting a first port to a brake pipe of the car, valves for selectively interconnecting ports of the tester, at least one pressure sensor sensing pressure at one or more of the ports, a communication circuit and a local controller connected to the valves and sensor and programmed to perform a test of the brake system and connected to the communication circuit to transmit test results. A plurality of car testers may be in communion with and controlled by the central controller at the same time.
A central controller remote from the car tester is in communication with the car tester for instructing the local controller to perform the test and for receiving the test results. The local controller may communicate car specific information of the car it is to test to the central controller before the central controller instructs the local controller to initiate the test. The local controller communicates confirmation of pre-test procedures to the central controller before the central controller instructs the local controller to initiate the test. The car tester and the central controller are connected wirelessly or by wire.
Observations inputted by an operator at the local controller may be communicated to the central controller. The local controller includes tester calibration data and transmits the calibration data to the central controller during a test cycle. This may be transmitted with the test results earlier in the process. The calibration data may include one or more of date of last calibration, results of the calibration, device used for the calibration, standard used for the calibration, person performing the calibration and term of the calibration.
The central controller may be in communication via a network with a master database for railroads and receives car information from and transmits test information to the master database. The test information transmitted to the master database may include test date, test run and test results.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure, when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings.